WEBSITES:

YAHOO SUPPORT GROUPS:

Yahoo groups are a great place to start your research. You’ll find a very large community to share dialogue with on the topic of lower surgery and as well as navigating the process itself. When I first started digging up info on lower surgery in late 2005 I was directed to three different Yahoo groups. All three are still going strong more than a decade later. What does that mean? It means that those archives are MASSIVE! Not only are there a couple thousand guys in some of these groups, but also thousands of photos, hundreds of links to other resources, medical journals, studies, blogs, etc. The only downside to Yahoo (and it is a big one) is that the platform is not even close to being user friendly. I actually hate navigating through anything Yahoo, it has never felt user friendly to me. That being said, it’s the foundation of my “lower surgery education” and I’m super super grateful for all the hard work that’s gone into creating, maintaining, and moderating these groups. There are 6 groups that I would like to share. FYI, you’ll need to create a free Yahoo account to access these groups. These are all “restricted” groups which means the actual group content will not be visible to you unless you have been added by a moderator. The highlighted website links below will direct you to the group description and there is a “JOIN GROUP” button right on that page.

THE DECIDING LINE: This is an “entry level” group for guys that are contemplating surgery but are still undecided on exactly what procedures they would like to pursue that will meet their needs.

FTM METOIDIOPLASTY: This is a peer discussion group for those that are ready to seriously plan for metoidioplasty. This is not a group for those very early on in transition.

FTM PHALLOPLASTY: This is a peer discussion group for those that are ready to seriously plan for phalloplasty. This is not a group for those very early on in transition.

FACEBOOK SUPPORT GROUPS:

There are numerous helpful Facebook groups that have a wide variety of focused topics on transition and surgery. What I value about the Facebook platform in regards to support groups is that it’s a clean interface, it’s intuitive, it’s immediate, and very easy to search by keywords. The overall experience is enjoyable because of how easy it is to navigate and interact with. I can usually find what I’m looking for quickly and it feels more personal than the Yahoo groups. However, the personal factor can be a downside for those that are stealth or just looking for a bit more privacy. In that case, Yahoo groups are probably your best bet, or creating a Facebook page under a different name. Most of the groups that I’m going to give a mention to here are listed as “SECRET” status, which means they are invsible and unsearchable. The only way to find these groups is to know someone that’s a member and have them send a add request for you to join. Then some of those groups require a new member application be filled out and reviewed before addmitance to the group is allowed. Nonetheless, I’m going to name some of the groups so that you at least know what’s out there and available. If you contact me directly I can assist with potentially getting you into these groups or directing you to one that would be a good fit.

FTM BOTTOM SURGERY DISCUSSION (closed group) – Open to anyone in the research, info gathering, decision phase. Also open to those such as partners that are interested in learning more. Not a space for providers.

The following four groups are solely for those actively working towards meta or phallo (see respective group) or those that are already post-op. An application process is required in order to be considered for the space.

FTM METOIDIOPLASTY (secret group) –Must complete an application to be considered for membership.

PHALLOPLASTY FTM (secret group) – Must be actively pursuing phalloplasty and at a minimum have consulted with a surgical team + complete a new member application to be considered for membership.

WHAT THE DOCTOR’S DON’T TELL YOU ABOUT PHALLOPLASTY – U.K. (secret group) – New member application process

BLOGS & PERSONAL PHALLOPLASTY ACCOUNTS:

There is weeks if not months worth of reading just a click away within these links. If you are interested in learning about other guys’ firsthand experiences with lower surgery, blogs are the way to learn. Asking questions directly to post-op guys is helpful too, but reading entire blogs is how you really understand what the surgical process looks like as well as how you respect the intention to write these things down in order to help minizine repeat questions. Many many men have take the time to document and detail their experiences in very open and vulnerable ways in order to benefit the next guys. Below are a links to some. As I come across more I will continue to expand this post whenever I find new resources. So if you like, bookmark this link and check back occasionally. This is a work in progress – please feel free to make suggestions and let me know if you come across a dead link.